Now, that's a funny ad! I don't care who you are....dat dare is fuhnny!

Just wandered in here and am I surprised! Do I hear correctly that Axiom is considering producing a 2 channel amp for $3500? Well, how do the folks here who believe that all well designed solid state amps sound the same react to a $3500 price tag on an Axiom amp?

Why do I like Axiom products (I hesitate to characterize my positive feelings in stronger terms because loving things is well ...)? Superb sound quality at a modest price. Any fool can buy great sounding equipment by throwing great wads of money at the problem. The challenge is getting terrific sound quality at a modest price. Axiom's speakers and the related, no longer produced but not forgotten Michaura speakers, are superb. Among the Axioms my personal favorite for 2 channel music is the M3s ... not the M50s, not the M60s or M80s.

So, here's the danger with a $3500 amp ... unless it is a breakthrough product, one which equals or outperforms $20,000 amps, why bother? I have a bunch of amps ... I like amps, I like buying amps, I like finding amps I like. I don't like paying $3500 for an amp. One of my favorite amps cost me $23.00 (TWENTY THREE) maybe it was 21 or 29, but definitely under $30. The digital class D Sonic Impact T-Amp is a 5 wpc (8ohms) wonder. I fooled with it, soldered the connection for a 13.8 volt/5 amp transformer/power supply, an adaptor for RCA plug inputs and it is great. How great? Great ... a magical companion to a pair of M3s or a pair of M22 like Michaura M55s.

Now, you can get a 2 channel tweaked amp using the Tripath 2024 chip for about $120.


That's the Trend Audio TA10 based on the same chip as is the $20+ Sonic Impact T Amp.

Amps are a tough business. When it comes to cost/price, you can't really compete with China for point to point wired tube amps, or solid state amps either.

Axiom's known and loved for value speakers, not high priced electronics.

Here's what I would hope Axiom would do - Pick the best 5 book shelf speakers in the world, at any price, and match them (95%) for well under $700 a pair.

1. an Axiom which sounds like a De Capo Reference 3a de capo i;
2. An Axiom which sounds like a Harbeth;
3. An Axiom which sounds like JM Labs Micro Utopia Be
4. An Axiom which sounds like a Spendor 3/5

Make a speaker with a frequency range 3db 25Hz-80KHz.

Just some thoughts.

Just a side note...if you have noticed Axiom doesn't do "lines" of speakers. It goes against their philosophy. All speakers have the same drivers in them. They want to be the best for the money, so why make a whole new line of speakers. If they introduce a whole new line of speakers, why are they selling their old line...is it not good enough?

What Axiom has going for it is a simple selection of speakers that is easy for the customer to understand, yet at the same time provides a great value at each price point.

And, the Axiom amp is 8 channels I believe. Above all...it isn't even released yet. We don't know of a set price.

If anything, something like an M100 might work...with a low frequency response like you said. This is because it would be the "next step up" from an M80.

It boggles my mind how how, in a significant number of your posts, you're able to:

1. include a list of your own equipment
   
2. include a masturbatory anecdote about how you modified one of said pieces of equipment
   
3. both compliment and insult Axiom and/or its products
   
4. suggest that Axiom should put aside its design philosophy and make (relatively) cheap knock-offs of speakers you deem worthy of imitation.
   

Hubris, much?

Well...my original post (above pmbuko's post) included only the following text:

"I feel a storm brewing..."

It said nothing else. I had quite a long message posted but later pruned and edited it appropriately hoping that a storm wouldn't brew. But alas, I'll say it again.


I feel a storm brewing...



It just confuses me how 2x6spds puts M3's (and his tube amp) on a pedestal, whacks away at all other Axiom products, then urges them to create a better M3. Why not just buy another speaker? And...why say the same thing over...and over...and over......

I feel like this thread has been repeated one too many times in the past.

That being said, I hope everyone can move on and ignore appropriate posts and continue on with the topic matter at hand.

Well pmbuko, sorry if you think talking about M3s or a $20 amplifier is bragging.

I'm a music lover, and do not engage in the sort of self gratification you seem to have a special interest in.

I don't think you can find an insult of any Axiom product in anything I say, unless you consider my preference for the M3s over other Axiom products an insult to those products. But, that wouldn't really be rational, would it?

I don't speak for Axiom's philosophy except to suggest that Axiom makes superb speakers at excellent and modest price points. I wasn't suggesting that Axiom make "cheap knock offs" of my favorite speakers, although I suppose someone with a bargain basement mentality might see it that way. What I was suggesting is that there are wonderful sounding speakers which are even better than the Axioms we know and love ... and that I believe Axiom could build book shelf speakers which can match the smoothness, the timbre, and those distinctively beautiful audio qualities which elevate some Harbeths, some Spendors, the Reference 3a de capo to best-on-the-planet status.

So, pmbuko, I know what your problem is and why you sort of stalk my posts ever since your anti-Israeli and pro suicide bomber screeds you engaged in years past. Why don't you just give it a rest and move along.

Here is the (older) article about the new amp.

Laughter really is the best medicine. Thanks, 2x6.

You know, I just watched The Caine Mutiny the other night. Good movie. Excellent acting by Humphrey Bogart.

Thanks Hutzal. I know I came to the conversation late and for some reason thought folks were talking about a 2 channel amp for $3500. 8 channels are certainly a lot of channels and $437.00 per channel is steep but not outrageous.

There are some excellent multichannel amps out there which have been very well received by reviewers such as the Anthem PVA 5 or 7 which MSRPs for about $200 per channel. (105 wpc)

I don't want to provoke Pmbuko by letting on that I can speak from personal experience as to the Anthem PVA 5, and can report that it is a wonderful amp, can be found for less than $200/channel and that I am very pleased with its sound quality, ability to handle difficult material and runs cool.

If the new Axiom amp can top the far more expensive Anthem Statement in price, output, sound and build quality, then the new Axiom would be a bargain.

Anyone know whether Axiom is thinking of building these amps on their own or having them built for them in China?

I am not sure of the production location. But this Axiom amp is fully digital and has the ability to dump the whole load into one channel if needed.

It is truly the future of amps and will probably be the benchmark to be beaten. I suggest reading the audioholics article on it to get a better idea of what it is offering.

-Hutz

This is sort of off topic but, does anyone know if the Axiom amp will use the HiQnet "System Architect" software to integrate with other pieces of equipment?